Kai Schreiber has claimed a historic win at The Daily Front Row’s Fashion Media Awards.
The 17-year-old model, daughter of Naomi Watts, 57, and Liev Schreiber, 58, took home the Breakthrough Model of the Year prize during Friday’s ceremony in New York. She wore a lime green Valentino mini dress and a dramatic jeweled necklace for the occasion.
“I’m also the first trans girl to win this award,” she told the crowd, drawing cheers from audience members. She called the landmark honor “surreal” and credited the trailblazers who came before her. “It wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for all my sisters who paved the way for me in this industry,” she said. “I carry that with me into every room.”
Kai expressed gratitude to the fashion world for embracing her so quickly. “I’m so beyond excited that I get to learn more about it every day and call it my job,” she said of her new career. She thanked those who had “so graciously welcomed me into this beautiful world of fashion.”
Her famous parents were singled out for special praise during the speech. “I’m so lucky to be supported by you,” she told them, thanking Watts and Schreiber “for their unconditional support and devotion to making me happy and making my dreams come true.” The former couple, who split in 2016, both attended the event. Watts posed with her daughter on the red carpet, while Schreiber was spotted kissing Kai on the cheek during the evening.
The teenager also acknowledged her professional partners at Maison Valentino, thanking them “for not only designing this outfit, but for being the ones that introduced me to this community and continued to believe in me.”
Kai’s ambitions in the industry have been clear for some time. In a 2025 Interview Magazine chat, she stated her goal plainly: “I want to be a supermodel. Period.” She traced her passion back to childhood rehearsals in her family home. “I’ve been practicing my walks in the kitchen for years; my mom can show you all the videos I forced her to film,” she said. She also connected her early experiences to her eventual path, noting that “struggling with gender identity from a young age most likely had something to do with it.”
She welcomed the growing visibility of trans models around her. “It’s great that there’s a strong community of us in the fashion world; it’s really a doll takeover,” she said.
Schreiber has spoken publicly about Kai’s transition, saying in 2025 that when she asked the family to change her pronouns, it “didn’t feel like that big of a deal because Kai had been feminine for so long.” He emphasized that “Kai was always who Kai is” and described his daughter as “such a fighter.” He voiced support for her public stance, saying, “It’s important that she goes, ‘Hey, I am trans,’ and, ‘Look at me.'”
Watts has also championed her daughter’s career, declaring herself “Beaming with pride 😃 🙌” in a social media post celebrating Kai’s first Valentino campaign last year. She later admitted to Interview Magazine that she had become “a bit of a momager” while helping guide Kai’s burgeoning modeling career.
Kai made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week in March 2025, walking for Valentino before going on to appear in the brand’s campaigns. Her breakthrough came after years of preparation and family encouragement, with both parents present as she reached the latest milestone.
Watts and Schreiber also share son Sasha Schreiber, 19.
